15-year vehicle scrappage rule may end soon: Government’s new policy to focus on vehicle pollution

Srinagar, Sep 11: The Indian government is working on revising its vehicle scrappage policy to focus on pollution rather than the age of the vehicle, according to an official announcement on Tuesday.

Anurag Jain, Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, shared this development during the annual convention of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).

Jain explained that the current policy mandating vehicle scrappage after 15 years has raised concerns among vehicle owners, particularly those who have maintained their vehicles well.

He noted that the new policy aims to address these concerns by evaluating vehicles based on their pollution output rather than their age.

Jain emphasized the need for a reliable system of pollution checks and called on the automobile industry to assist the government in creating a more trustworthy pollution testing framework.

The new approach could involve setting pollution limits for vehicles based on their emission standards, such as BS I or pre-BS II vehicles, rather than imposing a blanket age-based scrappage mandate.

Jain also commended the automobile industry for supporting the current scrappage policy, which offers discounts on new vehicle purchases in exchange for scrapping old ones.